


Receive and Give

by kagstsukki (SkylarkOfTheMoon)



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 16:05:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7580887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkylarkOfTheMoon/pseuds/kagstsukki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternatively, 5 Hugs Midorima Doesn’t Return and the 1 He Does</p><p>Written for aurenwolfgang on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Receive and Give

**Author's Note:**

> Me: I’m gonna write a MidoTaka fic for aurenwolfgang as a thank you gift.
> 
> Fic: lol you thought
> 
> Me: Hoe don’t do it
> 
> Fic: *is seven months late*
> 
> Me: Oh my god

1

 

Midorima has his reasons for choosing Shuutoku–the traditionalism, the proximity from his house, the strength of its basketball team-but there is just one factor which he has failed to consider. A factor which, if he had found out earlier, would have prompted him to choose another school.

 

You see, the Shuutoku basketball team _loves_ hugs.

 

It started when Midorima participates in his first practice match as a high schooler. The large gap between the scores was expected, the arms suddenly grabbing him were not. He suddenly found himself pressed between Miyaji and Takao, one arm around his shoulder and another around his waist. Ootsubo shouts something and the rest of the team, benchwarmers and regulars alike, flock over towards them to become one large mass of orange uniforms.

 

He shares a confused look with Takao who just shrugs and lets himself be swept up, at ease with all the touching while Midorima awkwardly lets himself be showered with the affection and praise, hands fixed by his sides.

 

2

 

Sometimes Ootsubo announces group hugs after practice. Midorima manages to avoid these encounters by ducking into the locker room. When it comes to matches, however, there is no escape. Usually it’s Takao who has to pull him into the hug and Midorima finds himself in close proximity with sweaty bodies and hands slapping his back and ruffling his hair.

 

“Didn’t you guys do group hugs at Teiko?” Takao asks once when they stayed behind for extra practice.

 

“We might have.” A flick of the wrist. A successful shot. “I can’t remember anymore.” By their third year, touches between teammates were cold and forced, praises were unnecessary given that they were always expected to be on their best form. It’s different with Shuutoku, hugs are done for the sake of it and praises are given freely to everyone no matter the performance.

 

When he goes to pick up another ball from the rack next to him, he notices the look on Takao’s face which seems a little sad.

 

“What?”

 

Takao shrugs, easily putting on a smile in a split second. “Hugs are nice! I think there’s a theory that proves it makes a person feel happier.”

 

There is a theory like that. Midorima has read it before and given the evidence he actually believes that hugs can lift a person’s mood. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t resist when Takao wraps a hand around his waist and burrows his face on Midorima’s shirt. He falters for a moment before straightening. Hugs may feel nice but they aren’t going to help improve his shots.

 

With Takao still wrapped around him, Midorima shoots the ball.

 

The ball swishes through the net. A perfect shot.

 

Takao laughs and mutters,“ Showoff.”

 

3

 

He loses against Seirin. Against Kagami. Against Kuroko. His heart is heavy as he waits with his team in their assigned locker room. Coach Nakatani calls them for the bus and members pile out, shoulders down and eyes dull, until it’s only the regulars left in the room. His seniors look dejected yet dignified at their defeat. Midorima wonders how they do it.

 

It’s Miyaji who initiates it. He tugs Takao forward and presses his junior against him. Takao is trembling, _trembling_ , but he’s not crying. Kimura wordlessly joins them, thumping them on the back as he does so.

 

Ootsubo eyes Midorima who is standing a few feet away from them and approaches him. A hand is placed on top of his head and a whispered ‘Good job’ in his ear which sounds a thousand times better than the emotionless praises that came from his old teammates.

 

Midorima doesn’t react, doesn’t cry. When they come together he just lets himself bask in the feeling of being surrounded by his teammates.

 

4

 

Takao’s birthday is a fanfare. Bright streamers decorate the locker room, loud music plays from someone’s phone and a large cake courtesy of the entire team stands on one of the benches. The birthday boy is in the middle of the chaos, laughing good-naturedly and cream dripping from his face from where Miyaji threw a pie at him earlier.

 

Midorima stands off to the side, a red paper cup in his hands which is just coincidentally his lucky item. His contribution to the whole party is buying the cake. (What actually happened was that Miyaji shoved the team’s pooled in cash in his hands and had Kimura drop him off at a bakery with strict orders to _get a goddamn birthday cake for your best friend, don’t you fucking deny it, Midorima._ )

 

The team is taking turns saying their messages to Takao. When it’s Midorima’s turn, the words come easily to him.

 

“I suppose you’re not that much of an idiot as I’d initially thought.” There’s laughter. Takao swats his arms. “You’re a great teammate and and an even greater friend. I hope that holds true until we graduate and even beyond that. Happy Birthday, Takao.”

 

There is silence. Midorima thinks he messed up. Then, a wide grin fills Takao’s face and launches himself at Midorima with a shout of joy. The cup, thankfully empty, drops from his hands as he dodges him.

 

The locker room echoes with laughter as Takao chases a terrified looking Midorima around the locker room. Kimura and Miyaji stops Midorima with a hand on each of his shoulders.

 

“Come on, take it like a man,” Miyaji says before pushing him in Takao’s waiting arms.

 

Midorima flushes red, either from embarrassment or from Takao squeezing the breath out of him.

 

5

 

Midorima gets close to the team, gets used to Takao and his senpais and their team’s antics. He genuinely likes Shuutoku, even when he had his doubts at the starts. He’s warming up or, as Takao helpfully puts it, going soft. Maybe when they do their usual post-game group hug he can finally find it in him to return it.

 

(It doesn’t happen. He’s crying, his senpais are crying, Takao is crying. Ootsubo still calls for them, voice a little choked as small tears fill his eyes. Midorima doesn’t move, _can’t_ move beyond removing his foggy glasses. It’s the team that adjusts around him-like how they adjusted to accommodate his eccentricities, his lucky items, his daily selfish wishes-by moving closer and wrapping him up in warmth.

 

“We’re proud of you, okay? Remember that.”

 

Midorima shakes. His hands stay clutching his glasses.)

 

+1

 

Graduation is a bittersweet affair. Midorima’s fingers tingle from where he played the piano only hours ago. Everyone on their team is smiling or crying or both. He feels kind of sad seeing them go even if he won’t admit it to anyone anytime soon. Despite his hesitation when he found out about the hugging thing, he doesn’t regret choosing Shuutoku.

 

“Aww is our kouhai about to cry?” Miyaji teases.

 

“I was just thinking that we won’t be threatened by pineapples and trucks anymore. I’m looking forward to it.” Miyaji pinches him in the side. Midorima swats his hand away. “I was only kidding.”

 

Miyaji freezes. “Did you just make a joke? Are you sick? I swear to God Midorima if you get me sick on the day of my graduation-”

 

“Hey, hey no fighting.” Ootsubo thwacks his head with his diploma case. Kimura and Takao snicker behind him. “Today is a happy day. Happy.”

 

“How can we be when you’re leaving?” Takao blurts out honestly. There’s a solemn silence for a few seconds, sad smiles on their faces, until Takao breaks it. “I’ll have to look after Princess Shin-chan by myself.”

 

“Nobody asked you to look after me.”

 

“Nobody but you,” he answers cheekily. Midorima makes a grab for him and he hides behind Kimura. “Don’t worry Shin-chan, it’s your birthday message after all. I’ll be a great teammate and a greater friend to graduation and behind.”

 

Midorima scoffs. “As if we’ll actually make it.”

 

“We will.” Takao’s voice is certain, eyes unwavering. “If it’s you and me, we can make it.”

 

Miyaji coughs and shares a knowing glance with Ootsubo and Kimura. He mouths ‘cheesy’ and Ootsubo shushes him.

 

“Okay freshmen, let’s make it quick. Our last group hug as a team.”

 

Ootsubo opens his arms and tugs Miyaji and Kimura close. They look at their kouhais expectantly.

 

Takao holds out a hand, a smile on his face. “Shall we, Shin-chan?”

 

 

Midorima takes a moment to state at the offered hand before accepting it. He is tugged forward, almost losing his balance and ends up in the middle of the group hug. Around them the chatters in the background seem like murmurs. Takao has slung an arm around his waist and Miyaji has an arm around his shoulders. It’s oddly nostalgic given that it was the same position as their first group hug. Only this time around, Midorima reciprocates. He places an arm around Miyaji’s shoulders and a hand on top of Takao’s head. He feels warm and light and if he’s being honest with himself, happy.

 

They stand there for a few seconds, basking in each other’s presence. When they break apart, Miyaji suddenly chuckles,“ God, that was embarrassing.”

 

“But you did it anyway,” Kimura points put.

 

“At least we were embarrassed together,” Ootsubo points out, earning a laugh from Takao and a smile from Midorima.

 

Their senpais ruffle their hair a few more times and make them promise to take care of the basketball club before finally bidding them farewell.

 

The two of them are sitting on the steps that lead to the gym. There’s a foot of space between them. Midorima is content to sit in silence, wondering what the next school year would bring now that there’ll be a new team occupying the gym behind them.

 

“What you said at my birthday and what I said earlier, I meant them,” Takao says, breaking the silence. Midorima looks at him and Takao looks back, with a smile that makes his eyes crinkle. “Though I can’t say for sure about teammates since we might go to different universities, I promise to be your friend through graduation and beyond.”

 

There’s a lump in his throat and a stinging in his eyes. He can never handle Takao’s honesty. It always catches him off guard moments like these, but as Midorima soon finds out, he doesn’t mind showing this side of him to Takao.

 

~

 

Takao breaks his promise.

 

They don’t even make it past graduation.

 

It’s not because they’re not friends anymore or somebody left or anything sad like that. Takao only promised to be his friend forever, but three months into their third year of high school they are definitely more than friends.


End file.
